Sanaa or Boma?

[OrlandoHelp]

We will be staying at AKV for one night before we begin our week at the Poly. We are meat and potato folks and are worried about the menu at these spots.

Would we find something to our liking at the resort or are all the meals exotic? Which of the 2 would you recommend for picky eaters?

Thanks

 

[KJay]

While there are "exotic" choices at both, I don't think lovers of more traditional fare would be dissappointed with either. You will find a combination of things new and things familiar, but the quality of ALL the food will be superb at either location! Have you checked out the menus at each? Boma is a buffet, so the menus you'll find online will give you just a sampling- but looking at the menus might help you decide. (You can find both menus at AlllEars.net....)

 

[djblu883]

It just depends on just how picky you are! My picky eaters did not like either place and asked not to ever go back. I am a much less picky eater and I loved Boma and Jiko but have yet to try Sanaa after reading the menu and found it was more like Indian foods with a twist. Having a buffet there will be choices but if you really are extremely picky I'd suggest going elsewhere!!!There are so many great places there is no reason to not enjoy every meal!

 

[Pakey]

My picky eater family hated both too. There is more variety at Boma but even all of the meat has spices that my picky eaters did not like.

 

[Kelsey In Wonderland]

While I haven't been to Sanaa, I have been to Boma twice and plan on going twice on my next trip. It really depends on what you are into but they have a very large variety with LOTS of DELICIOUS options.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

We are pretty picky eaters. In 2008, we tried Boma for dinner and was very disappointed. We found very little that we liked. This past October, we decided to try it for breakfast and still were not impressed. We also tried Sanaa for dinner and actually liked it. We had a great server named Randall. Before we ordered, we told him about our issues with Boma, and he assured us he could find us something we liked or he woud bring us something else. He took the time to tell us about all the entrees. I chose the sustainable fish and loved it. My DH had the New York Strip and he said it was good. Both my DS's got the Tandoori Lamb and said it was ok. It's definitely not top of our list of restaurants, but since we have a DVC contract at AKV, we will definitely eat there again when staying at the resort. We probably won't go out of our way to eat there though. Since you are staying there, I would recommend you try it. You'll never know if you like it or not if you don't try it.

 

[asdfghjkl13]

While I haven't been to Sanaa, I have been to Boma twice and plan on going twice on my next trip. It really depends on what you are into but they have a very large variety with LOTS of DELICIOUS options.

I 100% agree with this... havent been to Sanaa but Boma is excellent and has a huge variety even for picky eaters

 

[Pygoplites]

I like both equally well, but for people with food issues, Boma will be a better choice since it is a buffet. It's a good opportunity to try some new flavors without committing to an entire meal that you may not like (since they have "non-exotic" items, as well).

 

[Cinderella94]

For us it's definitely Sanaa.

 

[gizfish]

Both of these restaurants have great quality and authentically spiced foods. If you are picky eaters, you probably won't like either. If you have to choose, I would suggest Boma since as a buffet it does have variety. That being said, the variety will still scare you if your are picky or hesitant about new foods. You may end up eating from the kids selection which would not be worth the price of a buffet.

 

[everythingALICE]

I love Indian food and really wanted to try Sanaa. My mom is very conservative with what she will try, but ended up loving it. She got the tomato and cheese soup as an app and the New York Strip Steak as an entree. Our server was very accommodating and knowledgeable about the menu. I think the steak was supposed to be served with some sort of relish that my mom asked to be left off. Anyways, she was more satisfied than I had expected.

I've been to Boma many times and loved it - but I'm vegetarian and like lots of spice, so I'm no help there. But it does seem that they should have options as there is a carvery section (not sure if they spice all the meats or just some) and if nothing else you can normally find plain mashed potatoes and select veggies in the kids section.

 

[nytimez]

Sanaa is a better restaurant, no question - but for "meat and potatoes," you'll have better luck at Boma.

Personally, I don't find Boma to be exotic at all -- it's like standard buffet fare (right down to the carving stations) but with little exotic hints or touches. truly picky people will disagree with me on that, but that's my reaction to it.

That said, I enjoy them both and I hope you enjoy whatever you select for your meal.

 

[cbg1027]

For picky eaters, I would not recommend either one. But if you're set on TS dining at AKV, then I would go with Boma. You have more choices there.

But fyi, I think the food at Sanaa is better.

 

[stitchaholic]

boma is awesome, my 2 picky eaters were able to find alot to eat there, they loved it, there are many soups, salads and meats there to choose from and I truly did not find it too exotic, there were some exotic items on the buffet, but most is regular fare

 

[ibela]

Both of these restaurants have great quality and authentically spiced foods. If you are picky eaters, you probably won't like either. If you have to choose, I would suggest Boma since as a buffet it does have variety. That being said, the variety will still scare you if your are picky or hesitant about new foods. You may end up eating from the kids selection which would not be worth the price of a buffet.

I was thinking this exact same thing. Worst case you could eat some salad and food off the kids selection but it really won't be worth the price. If your family is really picky and you don't want to travel, you may be better off eating CS, there's a large selection to choose from at AK CS.

 

[Cisco]

Boma's is one of my favorite places...not so much for my wife. But, there's still enough variety for everyone to come away pleased. I like the fact it's just different enough to stand out from most of the other on-site restaurants.

 

[ninecrayons]

Sanaa is a better restaurant, no question - but for "meat and potatoes," you'll have better luck at Boma.

Totally agree with this. I love Sanaa but admit it's not for everyone. There is almost nothing on the menu that isn't seasoned or spiced and I feel like it may not appeal to meat and potato people.

At least at Boma you will have a lot to choose from and you're less likely to walk away disappointed!

I'm so excited to go back to Sanaa in February.

 

[mountdew1]

Our last trip we went to Boma with some relatives who are definitely meat and potatoes based. They still found a large amount of food to eat. I think the people who have issues with most of the food at Boma are simply working themselves up to not like it as they are scared of eating something different. If you took much of the traditional food there, and served it at fusion type restaurant, most people would eat it no problem. Yes, some of the dishes, esp the sides (salads and soups) are outside of what American traditionally consider to be a soup or salad, the flavorings aren't that strong, its just a different palate than we are used to.

Saana is slightly upscaled Indian food. If you don't like Indian food, then I wouldn't eat there. The dishes themselves aren't overly spicy but the side sauces are.

I think if you want to play it safe, Boma is the way to go. The Mara (CS) also has very safe options, nothing really outside the normal at all.